Spring!

This past weekend was pretty much our spring season here in Las Vegas. Pretty soon we will be in full blown summer mode and being outdoors wont be as fantastic as it was this week. Lillie and I decided to take advantage of the weather and head to the park. She had a great time watching all the people and other children playing and loved that a fellow park goer brought a bubble machine and decided to sit close to us.

She spent a great deal of her time crawling toward the balloons of a nearby birthday party and I spent the evening trying to remove grass stains from her jeans.  

Spring Mountain Ranch

 
Today we had the pleasure of joining our friends at Spring Mountain Ranch. I'm always surprised at how many beautiful places we have within a short drive of Las Vegas. Tucked away along the route to Red Rock Canyon and Bonnie Springs is a place called Spring Mountain Ranch.
I took this opportunity to shoot some pictures of Ava, her parents, Dave and Joy, as well as her furry brother Piton.
The pictures turned out great and I'm looking forward to a return trip and many more photos at this scenic location.



Starting Solids

At four months old it became apparent that the "liquid diet" was not going to quench Lillie's hunger for much longer. I held out for a couple of weeks, knowing that once I took that step I would be there for the long haul. So that weekend I came home with a box of organic rice cereal and busted in to the supply of bibs we received at my shower. I took a moment to reflect on the past few months of easy and effortless feedings and jumped feet first into the next milestone, solid food.
After she mastered the art of the rice cereal facial I determined that she was ready for some flavor.
After research and a plethora of unsolicited advice about what food to start first I decided that apples were going to be Lillie's first food. This goes against the idea of giving vegetables before fruits to encourage a lifetime of eating vegetables without nagging.

Time will only tell if Lillie turns out to be a enthusiastic veggie eater, but if it takes some nagging I doubt it can be blamed on the fact she had apples before peas.

 

Semi-cooperative subjects

It seems when all I want is space to stretch out on the couch, one, or both of my furry family members want to cuddle up, gaze into my eyes and demand endless petting and constant attention. 

So why is it when I want to practice my settings, experiment with F stop changes and exposure times they are no where to be found? Here are a few times I was lucky enough to capture them before they darted in the other direction.

The "Long n' Lovely" also known as Bella, the dachshund is my sister's dog, and is a much more willing model.

A New Adventure

I've always wanted to do something creative with my spare time. As a new mom it dawned on me that I want my daughter to seek out enriching activities in her life, although at four and a half months old, everything is new and exciting for her. I want to show her that everyone deserves to do what they enjoy and that it is important to make time, even when it seems impossible.

I have always loved photography and appreciate that it would give me the creative outlet I was looking for while allowing me to document these memorable times as my family grows.

I love capturing these moments for other families because I know that a perfectly timed photograph can bring endless joy and years of memories.